Getting the opportunity to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe could be a dream come true. We’re talking about one of the biggest film franchises in history with an enormous fanbase that’s helped filmmakers' star power soar into the stratosphere. But, there’s also no denying that joining the franchise comes with certain pressures and expectations.
Back inApril of 2018, we first learned thatCarrie Coonwas making the move from “auteur television" to the big budget superhero realm to play Proxima Midnight of The Black Order inAvengers: Infinity War. While taking the gig may seem like a no-brainer to us fans, making the decision to jump into the MCU - and essentially commit to answering questions about the franchise in almost every single interview - was one that Coon didn’t take lightly. In fact, that opportunity was assessed via a checklist that Coon turns to for any film:
“I think for any job, an actor has to ask themselves, what does this say about the kind of work I want to do? What message is this sending to the world? Because for me, number one is always the writing. Number two is whether it challenges me in a particular way, and then number three, of course, has to be what are the considerations more broadly for my career? Because, frankly, if you want to have longevity, you have to think about it. So there was some idea of having come from a pretty auteur television world to jumping into the most commercial project that ever existed. There was a little bit of soul searching about that. But ultimately, I had done motion capture for video games in graduate school and it was a really unusual opportunity that most actors would kill for! And who am I to say no to that? But the process was just unlike anything I’ve ever done so it had its own challenges, you know? And yeah, I get asked about that, I’ve signed more autographs for that movie than I have for all of my other work combined.”
While one does hope that Coon gets the notoriety she deserves for her other projects, she did express great admiration for the dedicated fanbase that the team behind the MCU has amassed over the years:
“They’re really smart! And they’re trafficking in some really large ideas. And let’s face it, they’re our Greek gods. There’s this spiritual life that people choose when they look to those franchises with such reverence. It’s not just about commercialism. It’s about gods and goddesses. It’s about something bigger than us.”
If you’d like to hear more from Coon, you can catch her thoughts on the series finale ofThe Leftoversright hereand see what she had to say about herGhostbusters: Afterlifecharacter overhere. Also, be sure to check out her full episode of Collider Ladies Nighthere.
